Georgia
Health fears for jailed, emaciated ex-Georgia leader Saakashvili
![Health fears for jailed, emaciated ex-Georgia leader Saakashvili Health fears for jailed, emaciated ex-Georgia leader Saakashvili](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-07-03T125732Z_1364228177_RC2OV1A5XLBI_RTRMADP_3_GEORGIA-POLITICS-SAAKASHVILI-COURT-1688437656.jpg?resize=1920,1440)
Supporters and family fear that former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has been poisoned in prison after losing about 60kgs in weight.
Georgia’s imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili appeared frail and severely emaciated via video link at a court hearing considering an abuse-of-power case against him.
Saakashvili and his supporters claim he has been poisoned while imprisoned and that he now weighs about 60kg (132 lbs), half of what he weighed when he was arrested in October 2021.
From a private clinic where he was being held, he told the court on Monday that despite his poor health, he was “spiritually fit and determined to serve the country”, according to local news site Agenda.
Saakashvili, 55, lifted his shirt to show his ribs protruding from his chest, a hollow abdomen and skin clinging tightly to his bones.
“A totally innocent man is being kept in custody,” he said in coverage carried live on several independent TV channels.
“I did not commit any crime,” he said.
The former president is being held at a civilian hospital, where he was transferred last year after staging a 50-day hunger strike to protest his detention.
“Putting me in jail will not break me. I am going to be actively involved in Georgian politics,” he said.
Saakashvili, who served as Georgia’s president from 2004-13 and led the so-called Rose Revolution protests that drove the previous president out of office, left for Ukraine after the end of his second term.
He holds Ukrainian citizenship and was the governor of the Odesa region in 2015-16. After leaving Georgia, Saakashvili was convicted in absentia for abuse of power and sentenced to six years in prison.
He was arrested in October 2021 after returning to Georgia to try to bolster opposition forces before nationwide municipal elections. The former president is now on trial on charges of “abuse of office” connected to the violent dispersal of an opposition rally in 2007.
Doctors have said Saakashvili risks dying from conditions he developed while in custody, though Georgian authorities say he is being given adequate medical care.
His brother, David Saakashvili, said the ex-president was continuing to lose weight, was at risk of dying and might have been poisoned. The family says he is not receiving proper medical treatment.
‘Political revenge’
The European Union and United States have urged Georgia to ensure Saakashvili is provided medical treatment and that his rights are protected.
Amnesty International has branded his treatment as “apparent political revenge”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called for Georgia to send Saakashvili to Ukraine for medical treatment and said the Georgian ambassador would be called to the foreign ministry and encouraged to return to Georgia within two days for consultations with his government.
In his daily video message on Monday evening, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of being behind the ex-leader poor treatment in prison and called on the international community not to ignore Saakashvili but to “save this man”.
“Ukraine has repeatedly called on the Georgian authorities to stop this demonstrative execution. Both we and our partners have offered various options to save Mykhailo,” he said.
Right now, Russia is killing Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili at the hands of the Georgian authorities.
We have repeatedly called on the official Tbilisi to stop this abuse and agree on Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine. Our partners, in coordination with Ukraine, have also… pic.twitter.com/Gzvl4zJPR1
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2023
“No government in Europe has the right to execute people – life is a basic European value,” he added.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly claimed that Saakashvili is being slowly killed in Georgian custody, describing it as a de facto public execution.
Georgia, which had received significant US support under Saakashvili, lost a brief war against Russia in 2008, including control of its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
To Zelenskyy’s annoyance, Georgia does not support the West’s sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
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Georgia
No. 1 Georgia gets through season opener without any major injury issues
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia defensive star Mykel Williams sustained a sprained left ankle in the season-opening victory over Clemson, but it isn’t expected to be a long-term issue, coach Kirby Smart said Monday.
Describing the injury as a Grade 2 sprain, Smart said Williams is questionable for the home opener Saturday when the No. 1 Bulldogs take on FBS school Tennessee Tech.
Williams, an edge rusher, had two tackles for losses before he hobbled off the field in the third quarter after an illegal block below the waist.
“It’s stable,” Smart said. “He’ll be week-to-week. Probably questionable this week, but not going to be a long-term ankle.”
The Bulldogs also lost defensive tackle Warren Brinson to a bruised ankle in the first quarter. Smart said the injury is not considered serious and the Bulldogs are hopeful he’ll be able to play against Tennessee Tech.
Nickel back Joenel Aguero also could be available after missing the Clemson game with a pulled muscle. He was able to take part in a walk-through Monday morning.
Receiver Dillon Bell should be ready to go after dealing with cramping issues against Clemson.
___
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Georgia
Georgia final thoughts: Bulldogs’ talent, versatility on display in dominant win
![Georgia final thoughts: Bulldogs’ talent, versatility on display in dominant win Georgia final thoughts: Bulldogs’ talent, versatility on display in dominant win](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/09/01212816/USATSI_24124917-scaled.jpg)
ATLANTA — It may be time for teams to stop scheduling Georgia in Week 1. Kirby Smart is 9-0 in openers, six of them against power-conference opponents, four of them ranked. Give Smart eight months to game plan for an opponent, and he does fairly well.
But yes, the rest of the season tends to go pretty well, too, and this Georgia team has the look of one that can win another national championship.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into what we saw in Georgia’s 34-3 rout of Clemson and what it means.
Frazier’s breakout game wasn’t surprising. He was the nation’s second-ranked tailback recruit in the Class of 2024 and generated a lot of buzz in preseason. Frazier’s speed and burst were a perfect way to lift Georgia’s run game, and he’s going to be a star if he stays healthy.
But Trevor Etienne is set to return from suspension, either this week against Tennessee Tech or for the Kentucky game. Branson Robinson struggled (12 yards on seven carries), but it was his first game in more than a season, and his pounding, physical approach may work better in future games.
GO DEEPER
Emerson: This Georgia team has the key trait of the program’s two recent national champions
The takeaway may be how Georgia’s backfield has flipped from weakness to strength. Chauncey Bowens (6 yards on three carries) and walk-on Cash Jones (one carry for 15 yards and two catches for 14 yards) can also help.
“We’re going to continue to get better and look forward to using all those guys’ skill sets,” Smart said. “We’ve got a really good dynamic in that running back room in terms of the players we have.”
RBU#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/lHvIbbR4GH
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 1, 2024
2. Five top receivers
The search for a potential weakness on this Georgia team often centers around the lack of a game-changing receiver following the departures of Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. And that could still end up being a problem. But what Georgia has going for it — and was on display in the opener — is a lot of options at the position.
Dominic Lovett, Arian Smith and Dillon Bell were the starters, and each had at least three catches, combining for 121 receiving yards and 34 rushing yards. Colbie Young and London Humphreys, the two top transfers, each had a touchdown. Those are the five guys who form a pretty good core, each someone the defense has to worry about, each very capable of winning in single coverage. And it’s a diverse group — Lovett and Smith bringing speed, Young offering size and physicality, Humphreys and Bell providing a mixture of speed and size.
That doesn’t even include the tight ends. Oscar Delp had a quiet game (no catches and only one target) but was on the field a lot (39 snaps), helping as a blocker against Clemson’s defensive front. Lawson Luckie had two catches for 37 yards, and Stanford transfer Ben Yurosek figures to get more snaps.
“We’re loaded,” Bell said after the game when asked about the weapons. “All I can say is we’re loaded.”
The main worry? Injuries, which seem inevitable at these positions. That’s why it would behoove Georgia to build depth by getting Anthony Evans, Sacovie White, Nitro Tuggle and Cole Speer more snaps and targets. That isn’t to say any will be starter-level, but Georgia can benefit by having dependable weapons to bring in as the fourth, fifth and sixth receivers if needed.
The question nobody has about Georgia is at quarterback, but it also shouldn’t be taken for granted. Carson Beck is the rug that ties the room together, both with his arm and his personality.
“Poise. He’s nice and poised. He kept the team going,” Bell said. “During huddles, he was giving us motivation: ‘It’s gonna open up at some point, we just have to stay patient and lean on our quarterback and coaches.’”
Beck has always had a calm, collected manner. But he also has a bravado to him that is becoming more visible due to his status this season — second-year starter, Heisman contender.
“I thought he got a little passion and energy,” Smart said. “(At halftime), he came in, sat down with the iPad and told me, ‘When we come out second half, we’re going to go in there and score, Coach.’ And sure enough, we did.”
This was one of my big questions about Georgia’s defense all offseason: Everyone agrees Walker is a great talent, but how do you keep him on the field? Walker refers to himself as a hybrid linebacker, but could that doom him to being a jack of all trades, master of none?
This game was a big answer in the right direction. Walker was on the field for 29 snaps, moving around a lot depending on the play. If you technically list him as an inside linebacker, he had only the fourth-most snaps at the position, but that was more than any outside linebacker had (Damon Wilson 21, Mykel Williams 20). More importantly, Walker made great use of his time, racking up six tackles, including a team-high 1.5 sacks, and generally being a problem.
Afterward, Smart said something very revealing about the coaching staff’s approach to Walker, as well as Williams, who moved this season from defensive end to outside linebacker.
“We’ve had to get uncomfortable as coaches to use (Walker’s) skill set, and I think coach (Glenn) Schumann and the defensive staff have done a great job of finding ways that he can be successful,” Smart said. “Mykel and him both are really good football players, and they both need to be on the field. They don’t need to share time.”
5. The comparison to the 2021 defense
I’m not claiming the 2024 defense will be just like that historically dominant unit. But part of what made that 2021 defense so special was not just how much talent it had but how Georgia got all that talent on the field. For example, Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, first- and third-round NFL Draft picks, shared time at inside linebacker.
The snap count Saturday showed hints of similar time sharing. That’s actually not isolated to the 2021 defense — it’s been a staple of the Smart-Schumann defensive strategy. But the extent to which they were able to employ it Saturday, and the effectiveness, is what stood out.
Twenty-one defensive players were on the field for double-digit snaps. And that was with much less subbing than usual on the defensive line. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Nazir Stackhouse and Christen Miller played most of the game, with Warren Brinson getting only three snaps before getting hurt and Jordan Hall and Xzavier McLeod already out. So there were more looks with Williams and Gabe Harris at end, with freshman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye seeing 13 snaps.
The linebacker and edge snaps:
- Raylen Wilson (ILB): 32
- CJ Allen (ILB): 31
- Smael Mondon (ILB): 28
- Jalon Walker (ILB, OLB): 26
- Damon Wilson (OLB): 21
- Mykel Williams (OLB, DE): 20
- Chaz Chambliss (OLB): 16
- Gabe Harris (OLB, DE): 15
In the secondary, KJ Bolden came off the bench but ended up with the most snaps (49), with Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson each getting 45. Starks shifted down to play star a lot, with Joenel Aguero hurt and starter JaCorey Thomas getting 19 snaps.
Daylen Everette, the new No. 1 cornerback, received all the first-team snaps (45) while starter Julian Humphrey and backup Daniel Harris essentially split time. Justyn Rhett and five-star freshman Ellis Robinson received snaps in garbage time.
It’s quite an advantage to get garbage time opportunities against a marquee opponent.
(Photo of Carson Beck: Brett Davis / USA Today)
Georgia
The Last Time Georgia Football Played Tennessee Tech
![The Last Time Georgia Football Played Tennessee Tech The Last Time Georgia Football Played Tennessee Tech](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_7785,h_4379,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/dawgs_daily/01j6r5v92w3ajqc3m6xg.jpg)
The Georgia Bulldogs will play Tennessee Tech this Saturday. Here is the last time these two teams met.
The Georgia Bulldogs are set to play their first game in Athens this Saturday as they host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. This will just the third time these two programs have faced off in a series that the Bulldogs control 2-0.
The last time these two teams met on the gridiron was nearly 15 years ago when the Dawgs hosted the Golden Eagles during the 2009 season. Georgia won the game in an impressive 38-0 shutout behind an impressive 304 rushing yards on the ground. Quarterback Joe Cox completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 140 yards and two touchdowns. While running back Washaun Ealy finished the day with 89 yards off seven carries.
The Bulldogs will look to have similar success against the Golden Eagles as they host their first home game of the 2024 season this Saturday. There has not been a betting line released on the matchup thus far, however, it is safe to assume that the Dawgs will be heavy favorites.
Georgia Bulldogs 2024 TV Broadcast Schedule
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